Opposition politicians raise questions over why billionaire’s application was approved quickly at time when others were being turned away amid pandemic.
Google co-founder Larry Page has gained New Zealand residency, officials confirmed, stoking debate over whether extremely wealthy people can essentially buy access to the South Pacific country.
Immigration New Zealand said Page first applied for residency in November under a special visa open to people with at least 10 million New Zealand dollars ($7m) to invest.
“As he was offshore at the time, his application was not able to be processed because of COVID-19 restrictions,” the agency said in a statement on Friday. “Once Mr. Page entered New Zealand, his application was able to be processed and it was approved on 4 February 2021.”
New Zealand politicians confirmed that Page and his son first arrived in New Zealand in January after the family filed an urgent application for the son to be evacuated from Fiji due to a medical emergency.
“The day after the application was received, a New Zealand air ambulance staffed by a New Zealand ICU nurse-escort medevaced the child and an adult family member from Fiji to New Zealand,” Health Minister Andrew Little told lawmakers in Parliament.
Little was responding to questions about how Page had managed to enter the country at a time when New Zealand had shut its borders to non-residents in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Little told politicians the family had abided by applicable virus protocols when they arrived.
Page’s residency application was approved about three weeks later.
Gaining New Zealand residency would not necessarily affect Page’s residency status in the United States or any other nation.
Immigration New Zealand noted that while Page had become a resident, he did not have permanent residency status and remained subject to certain restrictions.
Still, the agency on its website touts the “Investor Plus” visa as offering a “New Zealand lifestyle,” adding that “you may be able to bring your car, boat and household items to New Zealand, free of customs charges”.
Some local news organisations reported that Page had since left New Zealand.
There was no immediate comment by Google.
Forbes on Friday ranked Page as the world’s sixth-wealthiest person, with a fortune of $117bn. Forbes noted that Page stepped down as chief executive of Google’s parent company Alphabet in 2019 but remained a board member and controlling shareholder.
Opposition politicians said the episode raised questions about why Page was approved so quickly at a time when many skilled workers or separated family members who were desperate to enter New Zealand were being turned away.
“The government is sending a message that money is more important than doctors, fruit pickers and families who are separated from their children,” ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden said in a statement.
In 2017, it emerged that Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel had been able to gain New Zealand citizenship six years earlier, despite never having lived in the country. Thiel was approved after a top politician decided his entrepreneurial skills and philanthropy were valuable to the nation.
Thiel did not even have to leave California for the ceremony – he was granted citizenship during a private ceremony held at the New Zealand consulate in Santa Monica.